Tutoring physics or chemistry, you need to explain scientific notation. Scientific notation is very easy to use; it was designed to be. To start with, we need to realize the “everyday” way we write numbers is called “float” (aka “normal”). …
We continue our commentary on significant figures – aka significant digits – with how to add and subtract them. A chemistry or physics tutor deals with this topic periodically. If you look over my last few posts, you’ll see the accumulation of articles …
When you tutor physics or chemistry, most calculations require management of significant figures (aka significant digits). Today, we’ll look at multiplying and dividing. We know from earlier posts (see the previous one here) why significant figures are needed and how …
Tutoring physics or chemistry, significant figures are part of the landscape. Knowing when zero is significant can be tricky. In this, our second installment on significant figures (see the first one here), we start on the practical question, “What digits are significant?” …
When you tutor chemistry or physics, significant figures are a constant theme. Some people call them significant digits. We’ll start our explanation today. Bill: How heavy is that boat? Joe: Maybe 30 tons, give or take a couple. Bill: Then …
Tutoring high school physics, you get the privilege of retelling Newton’s three Laws. They can’t be discussed too often. Newton’s First Law: If no unbalanced force acts on an object, it either continues moving in a straight line at constant speed, or else remains in its …
Especially when tutoring physics 12, vector addition comes up. Let’s use the “chart thing”: I took Physics 12 in 1988. In that class, we added vectors component-wise. However, at university they used sine law and cosine law. I haven’t seen someone …
Every year, the physics tutor fields a few questions on conservation of momentum. It’s an interesting phenomenon because you can use it to explain some familiar, everyday situations. Momentum is mass times velocity. Something that is 50 kg, traveling at …
When you tutor physics, a concept that soon comes up is scalar vs vector. It’s not something most people ever think much about, but the difference is very important – especially in Science 10 and Physics 11. For example: distance is …